Inspector General: City should increase pedestrian crossing signals to improve public safety

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Inspector General: City should increase pedestrian crossing signals to improve public safety

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – A new report released by the New Orleans Office of Inspector General finds that the city needs more pedestrian crossing signals.

The report cites Orleans Parish as having the highest rate of fatalities in the state from 2013 to 2015 and more than twice the rate of pedestrian injuries than Jefferson or East Baton Rouge parishes.

Evaluators concluded that 87 percent of the signalized intersections in New Orleans do not have pedestrian crossing signals.

The OIG also found that the city failed to fulfill the pedestrian goals of its Master Plan and Complete Streets ordinance and ignored the requirements of its own “Americans with Disabilities Act” Transition Plan when adding and upgrading pedestrian signals to timers downtown.

The OIG recommends that the city develop and implement a policy to increase the number of pedestrian crossing signals in New Orleans. The city should also ensure compliance with ADA standards and develop a geographic information system-based management system for traffic equipment and other street infrastructure, according to the report.